CJ Denney

CJ is a Master of Environmental Management candidate at Yale School of the Environment, specializing in Water Resource Management and Environmental Policy Analysis. He is a student lead working to facilitate the Corporate Water Risk and Strategy Workshop. CJ's experience growing up in rural North Carolina and fishing with his family in "The Hot Hole", which he later learned was coal effluent, catalyzed him to pursue an environmental education. He journeyed to Saint Paul, Minnesota, and obtained his B.A. in Environmental Studies and Biology. After working on a research project examining the connection between historical redlining and water quality in the Twin Cities, he was inspired to contribute to the water world, as it affects every aspect of our lives and ecosystems.

At Yale, CJ has been a Teaching Fellow for Michael Oristaglio's "Renewable Energy" course, evaluating and offering feedback for 275 students' technical assignments bi-weekly. In the spring, he became a Research Assistant, working with Dr. Katharine Mach to conduct a literature review on leading strategies and methods for transformative climate adaptation. CJ is also a member of YSE's Student Affairs Committee, where he helps oversee nearly $100,000 in funds to the benefit of YSE's nearly 40 student interest groups.

Most recently, CJ completed an internship with The Nature Conservancy MD/DC, where he identified strategic growth areas and recommended policy pathways to Government Relations staff across 8 northeastern coastal states. His interests are still deeply connected to freshwater restoration, wetlands, and equitable water access, but it has been exciting for him to dip his toes into some saltwater!